The best thing you can do to counter this effect is to get in front of some light as soon as you open your eyes. Light is a melatonin killer; it wipes it out of your system, helping you feel more alert.
“Without the light, it’s going to take longer for your melatonin to come down, and that is going to prolong ‘sleep inertia’ — that period of grogginess and low energy when you first wake up,” Dr. Barwick explains. How much light exposure should you get before carrying on with your day? About 10 to 15 minutes should do, she says.
This, friends, is the tactic that made the biggest difference for me. I first tried it in the summer: When my alarm went off, I forced myself to get up and throw open the curtains, which filled my sleep den with light.
After a few weeks, I started waking up more alert and energetic. I was no longer tempted to snuggle under the covers for another 20 minutes. But, alas, if it’s fall or winter and you pull open the curtains first thing in the morning, you might be met with deep darkness. So you have to find light somewhere else.
I eventually splurged on a sunrise alarm that gradually brightens over 15 minutes before it plays a delightful flute tune that gently wakes me up. It rules, and while people’s reviews are mixed (some love ’em, others think they’re pointless), some evidence suggests these gadgets can make you more alert when you rise.
Looking for a good sunrise alarm? Lumie recently won a Beauty & Wellness Power List Icons Award 2025 for its sleep tech, including the Body Clock Shine 300. GLAMOUR readers love it because the clock is designed to support your natural sleep cycle, it bathes your room in a warm, fading sunset to help you relax, then gently stirs you awake with a simulated sunrise and a choice of calming sounds.
You don’t have to buy a fancy clock, though — you can simply turn on a lamp on your bedside table, Dr. Barwick says.
You can also get a light box that emits 10,000 lux (often marketed as SAD lamps), the equivalent of being outdoors on a sunny day, and camp out in front of it for a few minutes. Lumie also offers a range of these, including the Task Light.
“The brighter the light, the greater the lux, the greater the suppression of melatonin,” Dr. Barwick says. PSA: This is REALLY bright and may be too intense for some people. Dr. Barwick’s advice? Incorporate some light into your morning routine in a way that feels doable and pleasant.
2. Stick to a consistent wake time and resist the urge to hit snooze.
The next step to learning how to wake up in the dark is to avoid repeatedly hitting your alarm’s snooze button. When you use this tempting feature, you’re essentially telling your body it’s still sleep time, which can keep melatonin pumping throughout your body, trapping you in a groggy state, according to Dr. Barwick.
